Chapter 829, Isn't It Just a Word?
Puff puff~!
Someone just tried to struggle, but the guarding skeleton immediately stabbed them twice in the gut.
Blood gushed out, and the already badly injured body weakened further.
Wu Heng glanced over and ordered, "Start from 205—one person per cell."
The skeletons moved again.
Dragging the prisoners into the holding cells.
"Wu Heng, necromantic labs are against Guild regulations."
"Let's talk. We both have the Second Prince as our target—cooperation is our best bet."
"I was just hired. Your grudges have nothing to do with me. Let me go, and I'll give you a ton of money."
"You've made too many enemies—you won't end well."
"Wu Heng... you can't do this..."
The prisoners shouted loudly, the place in chaos.
As they resisted, the skeletons gave them a few more cuts to force them into the cells and slap on shackles.
The iron doors slammed shut.
Only then did the noise die down.
Wu Heng told the alchemical skeleton, "Let them rest today. Start zombie conversion tomorrow."
The alchemical skeleton nodded and took notes in its logbook.
Then it turned and left.
......
The matter of the five 18th-level Professionals was done.
The three wraiths flew back. Xiaoxiao pointed to a few cells ahead and said regretfully, "Uncle, those three zombies are still just level 19."
Wu Heng opened the narrow viewing slit on the iron door and glanced inside.
Instantly, zombie snarls echoed out.
He closed it again and said, "Let's wait a bit more. We were only gone two days—maybe in a few more they'll hit level 20."
"Alright," Xiaoxiao shrugged.
......
Back in the monitoring room.
Xiaoxiao excitedly recounted to Glenda how Shiny had gone 1v6 last night.
Glenda had been possessing a Secret Cult member then and didn't see the fight.
Hearing the tale, she looked to Beni.
Beni nodded—confirming it was true.
That made Glenda even more shocked.
Wu Heng had mentioned defeating six 18th-level Professionals, with only the witch escaping in smoke form.
But she hadn't expected the main force to be Shiny.
That giant insectoid skeleton.
Even at level 20, soloing six opponents was over-the-top.
Especially considering she and Beni were also level 20—they could suppress other wraiths, but couldn't just kill 18th-level Professionals outright.
Wu Heng sat in a chair.
He listened to the three talk briefly but soon tuned them out.
His mind turned to the three level-19 zombies in cells 202 to 204.
They had started as 18th-level Professionals. After being injected with the virus, they reached level 19 the next day.
The speed shocked both Wu Heng and the wraiths.
They thought they'd found an exploit to quickly produce a batch of level-20 skeletons.
But now, days had passed—and nothing changed.
They hadn't reached level 20.
Wu Heng thought it over and came up with two possibilities.
First possibility: Professionals have a higher base, so unlike regular people, their viral exposure leads to a leap in power.
Hence the jump from 18 to 19.
Second possibility: Reputation.
These 18th-level Professionals had already reached the threshold for level 19 but were held back due to lack of fame.
After becoming zombies, the fame requirement vanished.
So, they naturally advanced to 19.
Thinking along those lines—
Wu Heng felt the second explanation made more sense.
That was how the level-up mechanism likely worked.
"If that's true, then 19 is the ceiling."
In other words, zombie conversion speeds up 18-to-19 progression, but hitting level 20 still requires soul core cultivation.
"We'll keep watching."
Wu Heng murmured, then thought again about Shiny's battle power.
A level-20 skeleton beating six 18th-level Professionals—pretty wild.
Maybe not as dramatic as Xiaoxiao claimed, always overpowering them, but it still tied down six enemies.
Of course, Shiny had clear flaws.
All its combat relied on brute strength and wing speed—just ramming and smashing.
Tactics? Not so much.
That's a downside of turning zombies into skeletons—they had no Professional foundation, so their combat looked more like beastly ambushes.
But there was hope.
The prisoners in the later cells—and those already level-19 zombies—
They were former Professionals and had combat basics.
The question was whether those would carry over in skeletal form.
If they retained their battle instincts and gained Shiny's power and speed—
That'd be some terrifying combat power.
Just thinking about it made Wu Heng a bit excited.
He checked the time, picked up the radio, and called Li Yanhong.
......
In another world, under the blazing sun—
A swirl of smoke emerged from the woods and slowly condensed in the road into the form of the witch Viola, dressed in a tattered black robe stained with blood and dust.
Viola looked haggard, skin pale, eyes full of wary glances at her surroundings.
"Damn kid. Should've killed you last time," she muttered through clenched teeth.
At the same time, she was shocked by his rapid growth.
It hadn't been that long, yet his strength had grown so fast.
Even with Guild support, it shouldn't be this quick.
She had planned to head to Gold-Silver Island for revenge after this.
Now it looked like if she did go, who killed who would be anyone's guess.
She panted hard and downed two potions.
Once her breathing steadied—
She pulled out a clean outfit from her spatial ring and continued down the dirt road.
After walking a while, she heard a 'crack-crack' sound nearby. Through the woods, she saw three men tying bundles of firewood, preparing to leave.
Seeing Viola, the three froze, instinctively raising their axes.
Viola quickly said, "Don't panic—I'm just passing through."
"What are you doing out here?" one asked.
Viola answered, "My family was hit by disaster, we got separated. Then I got lost in the mountains. I'm looking for a nearby town."
Her plan was simple.
She had no idea what was happening in the outside world. She'd lost her sense of direction in the woods.
Better to find a place to rest and recover before making plans.
If that kid really did chase her, she could still run.
The three sized her up again. Her clothes and skin didn't look like someone from a remote area.
She must be a city lady.
They asked, "Where are you from?"
"Sellers City."
"Never heard of it. Where are you headed?"
"Nilari City."
"That's far. And you're going the wrong way," the man said. He looked at her again, face a bit flushed, and coughed. "It'll be dark in half a day. Our village is just down the hill. Come with us and rest. Head out tomorrow."
Viola smiled. "Thank you, gentlemen."
The three scratched their heads, chuckling shyly.
As they walked out of the woods, they eagerly introduced her to village life. Before long, the village came into view.
But as they stepped in, they heard shouting.
Three guards and six leather-armored gang members were gathered in the center.
Several villagers, including some children, had been tied up. The guards' whips rose and fell, crackling.
"All Professionals above level 5 must enlist to resist the undead from the north!"
"You lied about your numbers and levels. Looks like you've got a death wish."
The village elders rushed forward, bowing repeatedly. "Please, sirs, stop hitting them. They'll die!"
Other villagers also begged loudly.
The guard captain ignored them and cursed, "Let 'em die! This kind of crime is enough for beheading."
One elder said, "Sir, sir, we're willing to go. Just let a few Professionals stay. There are beasts outside—and autumn is coming."
"What use are you old farts?" one of the gang members snapped, then tugged on the old man's sleeve. "You're clueless, geezer. Whether anyone stays or goes is up to the captain—just a word from him!"